PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar has warned anew all police applicants from falling into the money-making racket of some unscrupulous groups and individuals saying that under him, no one could buy their way into the national police force.

The top cop issued the renewed warning as agents of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group headed by Brigadier Gen. Robert T. Rodriguez and the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP IMEG) headed by Brig. Gen. Thomas R. Frias Jr. on Thursday arrested a woman who was found to be claiming she could assist police applicants in this year’s recruitment of more than 17,000 patrolmen/patrolwomen.

The suspect identified as Evalyn M. Aleman alias ‘Evah Fonda,’ a resident of Bicutan, Taguig city was arrested 9 p.m. Thursday while in the act of receiving P50,000 in marked money from an undercover officer, said Gen. Eleazar.

Aleman is now under the custody of the IMEG and facing appropriate criminal charges

The PNP chief said the entrapment operation was triggered by a ‘cyber-patrolling’ conducted by PNP-ACG agents. The Cybercops monitored that Aleman has been offering assistance to PNP Recruitment applicants in exchange for money in her Facebook account.

According to Gen. Eleazar, the woman has been asking P50,000 per applicant as payment to secure the passing of their Neuro Psychiatric Examination.

“The suspect claimed that she was able to help a lot of applicants to enter the PNP and will help until they take the oath. She even boasted that her “pamato” or the person helping her is a doctor with the rank of Police Colonel,” said the PNP chief.

The PNP doctor assigned at the Northern Police District Health Service and the woman’s husband, a member of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) are both undergoing investigation by the PNP-IMEG.

“Sa ating mga aplikante, huwag kayong maniniwala sa mga ganitong klaseng modus. Binago na natin ang kultura ng korapsyon at palakasan sa recruitment system kaya masasayang lang ang pera ninyo,” said the PNP chief.

“Sa pamamagitan ng Comprehensive Online Recruitment Encrypting System (CORES) na inilunsad natin, ang tanging tiket ninyo para makapasok sa PNP ay ang inyong qualifications at ang performance ninyo sa mga evaluation,” he added.

Gen. Eleazar ordered the PNP-ACG and the IMEG to further intensify the operations against this kind of modus operandi and to investigate if Aleman has indeed cohorts in the PNP, including her husband who is confirmed to be a policeman.

He also urged police applicants to immediately report to the PNP, through the e-Sumbong, any person who would approach and offer them assistance in the recruitment system.

“Bilang mga susunod na pulis, it is a challenge for you now to live up to the expectations of being a policeman. Pulis na tapat, pulis na may integridad, pulis na may pagmamahal at malasakit sa ating PNP,” the top cop said.

“At sa mga katulad nitong si Evah Aleman, ang pagkaka-aresto niya ay isang patunay na nakatutok kami sa inyo ngayon at sinisuguro ko na mahuhuli kayo at pagbabayarin sa mga kalokohan ninyo,” he added.

The PNP chief said the QR Code System will be used to ensure the concealment of the identity of the applicant. Only the applicant’s qualifications will be evaluated in determining if he/she will be accepted in the police force.

It will be utilized in the entire application process of the applicant, including the Body Mass Index and agility test, drug and neuropsychiatric test, and physical, medical and even dental examinations.

Last week, Gen. Eleazar led the official nationwide launching of their ‘Nameless, Faceless’ recruitment program under the new normal which he said will ensure there will be no more ‘padrino, palakasan or bata-bata’ system when it comes to recruiting rookie members of the force.

The Comprehensive Online Recruitment Encrypting System or CORES being supervised by PNP Director for Personnel and Records Management, Major Gen. Rolando J. Hinanay is meant to finally eradicate influence-peddling in the organization and will ensure that new members of the force will make it to the PNP on their own and not thru the help of influence-peddlers including politicians, retired generals and other VIPs.

Under this recruitment scheme, a QR Code System will be used to ensure the concealment of the identity of the applicant. Only the applicant’s qualifications will be evaluated in determining if he/she will be accepted in the police force.

“Gusto na po nating tuldukan ang bulok na sistema ng iilang aplikante na kumakapit sa matataas na opisyal ng PNP para lamang makapasok sa organisasyon. Sa ganitong sistema, may korapsyon na kaagad eh. Iyan ang hindi natin hahayaang makapasok sa ating hanay,” Gen. Eleazar said.

“We will only accept those police applicants who are most qualified and most deserving. Only the best for the PNP. Walang mukha o pangalang lalabas habang ongoing ang application process at tanging ang credentials niya lamang ang pagbabasehan kung siya ba ay tanggap sa PNP,” he added.

Gen. Eleazar said that cases of rogue policemen like Corporal Moises Yango, a 29-year-old Quezon City policeman who was arrested for robbing an LBC branch in San Miguel, Bulacan on Monday as well as the more than 5,000 erring cops who were dismissed from the PNP since 2016 is the main reason why he wants an honest-to-goodness recruitment system.

“Ayusin po natin ang ating recruitment system para yung hindi qualified, hindi makakalusot. Ayaw na po natin ng mga padrino, walang palakasan dito to give the best qualified applicants a fair chance, the equal opportunity to be able to join the PNP. Kasi pag hindi po natin ito nagawa, pag hindi natin matapos ang kultura ng padrino para hindi ma-slash sa recruitment, doon magsisimula ang corruption,” he said.

The head of the PNP Recruitment Service, Colonel Ma. Leonora Camarao presented to Gen. Eleazar the start of the program where applicants and the screening officers observe minimum health standards at Camp Crame.

Camarao said they are not only getting criminologists but are also interested in getting applicants with solid background on IT and medicine-related courses. A lawyer, Camarao also thanked the PNP Information Technology Management Service and the PNP Directorate for Information Communications and Technology Management respectively headed by Brigadier Gen. Daniel C. Mayoni and Brig. Gen. Alexander J. Sampaga for giving their all-out assistance to the PNP comprehensive recruitment system.

In 2020, Camarao said that more than 20,000 college graduates applied to become members of the PNP despite the pandemic although only 14,208 of them became policemen.

This year, she said that some 20,000 applicants were given the QR Code. A total of 5,150 applicants will be recruited during the 1st cycle of the recruitment program.

Gen. Eleazar said that last week, he met all 17 Police Regional Office directors and the heads and members of the deliberation board of the different National Operational and Administrative Support Units which were given recruitment quota and asked them to give their full commitment to his program.

“I told them, you invoke my name pag me lumapit sa inyo at nagpapadrino sa isang aplikante. In short, tablahin nyo lahat,” he said.

The PNP chief said that when he was still the Metro Manila police director in 2019, out of the more than 7,000 National Capital Region Police Office applicants, more than 300 have the so-called ‘resetas’ or letters of endorsement from VIPs and other influential persons

“Ayaw na natin nun. Ang gusto natin ay mabigyan ng chance ang mga galing sa probinsiya at maiwasan ang pagsasamantala ng mga pulis man o civilian sa mga recruits,” he said.